The permanent legal changes necessary to ensure that the law provides minimum levels of humane treatment for animals in DC is coming up in front of the DC Council on Tuesday, July 11th. There are still many uncommitted Councilmembers who haven't signed on to the legislation. Activists and puppies citywide need your help in convincing the Council to vote this into law.

Update 4:40pm: Momma's Law: Improving DC Animal WelfareWe are optimistic the amended Momma's Law, now the more comprehensive Standard of Care for Animals Amendment Act of 2017, will pass the first vote July 11. Please only reach out to DC Council to thank them for their support at this time. We appreciate the overwhelming response of support from the community. We'll see you on July 11 to applaud our legislators and non-profit partners who have worked tirelessly on this bill.

Here's what you can do to help (from the local Momma's Law organizers):

a. Right now, we only have confirmation that Councilmembers Todd, Nadeau, Allen and Cheh are supportive. We need to convince 5 more CMs to support holistic animal welfare reform in the District. If you are or know someone in Wards 2, 5, 7, or 8- please contact those CMs! If you live in Wards 1, 3, or 4, we need you to help contact our At Large CMs. See this Google doc for the status of support and contact info for the CMs.

Follow us on Facebook (FB/MommasLawDC), and Tweet using #mommaslawdc - we will have updates for you on which CMs are supportive and who we need to focus our efforts on. Even if you can't attend, be sure to show you are "interested" in the event and share it on your page in or in your groups, which will help get the word out.

Join us next Tuesday, July 11th at 10:00 am at the Wilson Building to show the Council that DC supports Momma's Law. It's important for us to have a visible presence to remind the Council as they go to vote that this improved legislation makes DC a happier, healthier, safer place for all people and animals.

The permanent legal changes necessary to ensure that the law provides minimum levels of humane treatment for animals in DC is coming up in front of the DC Council on Tuesday, July 11th. There are still many uncommitted Councilmembers who haven't signed on to the legislation. Activists and puppies citywide need your help in convincing the Council to vote this into law. Here's how.

Ripley, a Petworth area dog who lives on 7th Street, had his owner Jeff Stone email me to let me he's raising funds to support the Humane Rescue Alliance. They're hoping readers will be interested in helping them by donating to their fund. Here's the details:

WAMU's Ally Schweitzer took a look at the story for NPR's All Things Considered, and spoke to both Ward 4 Councilmember Brandon Todd and Lisa LaFontaine, the president of the Humane Rescue Alliance, as well as the two neighbors who have lobbied HRA to help Momma (they used the pseudonyms "Jane" and "Mary" to protect themselves). The radio piece is well done, with the longer web article providing more opportunity for longer quotes and details.

It’s been a few days since the pit bull Momma was finally brought inside from freezing temperatures, and the outpouring of public attention has helped to start some important changes. However, city authorities and neighbors still don’t know what’s become of Momma, the dog’s owner or the home’s resident. Currently, the law doesn’t give the Humane Rescue Alliance much in the way of options. Here's an update on the story.

There’s a dog that’s been stuck in a small fenced-in area in freezing temperatures, snow and wind, and even with the continual efforts of a group of neighbors, neither the homeowner, the dog’s owner nor the city has changed the dog’s situation.

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About Petworth News

Petworth News is a blog about the Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion. Learn more and contact Drew.